Tiltable umbrella support



Aug. 19, 1952' E. E. FREY TILTABLE UMBRELLA SUPPORT Filed 'Nov. 2, 1950 FIG. 2.

FIG.

.4 iw EECEEM INVENTOR ELMER E. FREY ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 19, 1952 2.60%,363 TILTABLE UMBRELLA'SIIPIQR CaliL.

Appl ication Novemberfi, 1950, Serial nii'.' 192, z'.21

. 1 v This invention has to do with umbrella supports and relates more particularly to'an umbrella support joint which may be operated from a remote point to tilt the umbrellaand return it to upright position. g

It is a principal object of the invention toprovide in an umbrella support, a'novel joint construction and actuating means which are highly efficient, economical of manufacture, and which are capable of functioning satisfactorily without the necessity of counterbalancing means.

Another object is to provide a joint of this character which may be operated from a remote point on the umbrella staff.

A further object is to provide an umbrella support in which the tilting of the upper portion of the staff is accomplished by'rotative move,- ment'of an operating shaft operated at a point remote to the joint; the rotative movement of the shaft causing swinging movement of an actuating lever.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter. I

Without intending thereby to limit the broader scope of' theinvention as definedby the appended claims, I shall now describe "presentlypreferred embodiments, for which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing an umbrella support embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation, with parts broken away for illustrative purposes, and with some parts shown'in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view with some parts shown in elevation and some parts shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation taken from the lines 4-4 of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken on line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing a variational form; and

Fig. 7 is an elevation taken on line 1-1 of Fig.6.

Referring now to the drawings, I show at 5 an umbrella staff or post composed of upper post section 5a and lower post section 51). I prefer to make the post of tube stock, the post pivctally supporting at its top end umbrella ribs A 6 Claims. (01. 135-46) slide ring 8 is slidably mounted on the post and braces 9 are pivotally secured at their ends to the ring and to the ribs, as is conventional in umbrella construction.

The lower post section 5b is bifurcated at its top end to present bifurcations l5, I6. the top bifurcations being curved about a radius as shown the roller at [8 soas to present a bearing surface for the correspondingly curved portions 19 of the plug to bedescribed.

Upper post section 5a has a plug 20 fitted therein, the plug having an enlarged diameter portion 2| presenting an upwardly facing shoulder 22 toengage the lower end of the post section'5a, and having a lower; flat-sided extension 24 which depends between the bifurcations l5, l6, theextension being pivoted between its ends to the bifurcations by pintle 26 for swinging movement relative theretobetween the positions ofFigs.2and3. f A lever 30 is pivoted, by a pintle 32, to brackggs 3i fixed to the lower post section, as by screws Referring now more fparticularly'to the lever 30; as will be observed from Fig. 5, it is composed of opposite'spaced sides 33 between which the lower end portion of the extension 24 extends. The inner end portionsof the sides 33 are spaced apart a relatively greater distance and have mounted therebetween a as by trunnions 38. g p v Adjacent its lower end, the'extension 24 has nut 35 pivoted thereto a somewhat" diagonal slot, 40in which a roller 42 rotatably fits, the roller being mounted upon." shaft 43 carried by the sides-of the lever, s'o tharolls alongthe ,slot as the lever is swung. .Thus, itwill be seen that as the lever is swung to the. left (Fig.3) it serves to swing the extension 24fto the left aboutpivot 26, and as the lever is swung in the opposite direction it swings the extension, and with it the upper post section 5a,

into alinement with the lower post section.

To actuate the lever I provide a rotatable shaft 45 which extends longitudinally in the lower post section and is threaded at its top end portion 45a to threadedly engage the nut 35.- The lower end of the shaft'has fixed thereon a bevelled gear 41, which meshes with another bevelled gear 48 fixed on aj'shaft 50 journalled in the lower post section 5b, the shaft carrying on its outer end a hand wheel 52 for manual operation. Y

i The lower endportio'n of the shaft extends through an opening 54 in abracket 55 with a somewhat loose fit, which will enable it to tilt slightly relative to its normal coaxial position I in the ,post,as shown inFig. 3. The bracket, 55 is secured in the lowerpost section as by screws 51.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the upper post section, with its carried umbrella mechanism, may be tilted relative to the lower post section by simply rotating the axis o f er end of the lower post section, so that when the lower post section is placed in anoutdoor table, for instance, the hand wheel will be about table level so that it is in convenient position for one Y sitting around the table to-Joperate to tilt the umbrella.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I show a variational form of operative connection of the shaft 45 to the lever.

Here, instead of using the nut 35 before-described, I utilize an internally threaded sleeve 60 to threadedly receive. the upper end of the shaft, andIpivot the' flattened upper and GI of the sleeve between thesides' 33a of the lever 30a, by

apintle63. U I

1. In, f mbrella suppora'a tubular lower post having bifurcationsat its top end, an upper post having a lower end extension disposed between and pivotally connected to saidbifurcations to swing relative. theretoiabout an axis normal to the axis of said lower. po'st, means for so swinging said. extension, comprising a shaft disposed longitudinally in the lower post for rotation therein,

means adjacentthelower end of the post and rotatable relative to the lower post about an axis normal to the axis thereof for rotating said shaft, and; an operative connection between the upper .endiof said shaft and said extension operable to swing said extension inresponse to rotation of a 2 In an umbrella support,a tubular lower post having -bifurcationslat its top. end-,lanupper post and pivotally connected to said bifurcations to swing relativethereto about an axis normal to idilowerpost, means for so swingi said -ext ens on comprising a shaft disposed longitudinally in; the lower postfor rotation therein,

gear means adjacent the" lower end of the post for rotating said shaft, a lever pivoted to the lower post adjacent the top end of the latter, one end 7 of said lverhaving threaded engagement with the top end portion of said shaft wherebytto' swing in response to rotative movement of the shaft, and the other end of said leverhaving operative engagement with said extension below the point at which said extension is pivoted to said bifurcation.

3. In anumbrella support, a tubular lower post having bifurcations at its top end, an upper-post having a lower end extension disposed between and. pivotally connected-to said bifurcations to swing relative t hereto about an axis normal to the axis of said lower post, meansfor so swinging said extension comprising a shaft disposed longitudinally in the lower post for. rotation therein, means adjacentv the lower endfof the post for rotating. said shaft, a, lever pivoted to the lower post adjacent said bifurcations, one end of the lever having threaded-engagement with the top end portion of said shaft whereby to swing in 'response'to' rotative movement of the shaft, and

having a lower end extension .dispos'ed'between .ing said extension, comprising a shaft disposed longitudinally in the lower post for rotation therein,'means adjacent the lower end of the post for rotating said shaft, a lever pivoted to the lower post adjacent. said bifurcations, a nut pivotally carried by one. end of the lever and having threaded engagement with the upper end portion of said shaft whereby to cause swinging movement ofthe lever in response to rotative movement of the shaft, and the other end of said lever having operative engagement with said extension below the point atwhichsaid extension is pivoted to. said bifurcations. v

5. In an umbrella support, a tubular lower post having bifurcations at its top end, an upper post having a lower end extension disposed between and pivotally connected to'said bifurcations to swing relative thereto about an axis normal to the axisof 'said'lower post, means for so swinging said extension comprising a shaft disposed longitudinally in thelow'er post for rotation therein, means adjacent the lower end of the lower post for rotating said shaft, a lever pivoted to the lower post adjacent said bifurcations, an internally threaded sleeve having threaded engagement with the upper endjof said shaft, said sleeve having its upper end pivotally connected toone end of the lever, and anoperative connection between the other end of the. lever and saidextension below the pointat which said extension is pivoted to said bifurcation.

6. In an umbrella support the combination of a tubular lower post having bifurcations at. its top end, anupper post having a flattened lower end extension disposed between and pivotally connected between its ends to said bifurcation ladjacent the upper end of. the latter to swing relative thereto into and out. of axial alinement with'the lower post, said'extension having a diagonal slot therein below its point of pivotal connection to the bifurcations, athreadedshaft disposed longitudinally in the. lower post for rotation therein, means at thelower end of. the shaft for imparting rotative movement thereto, and a lever pivoted between its ends to the'lower post, said lever carrying a roller at one of its ends for engagement in said slot and pivotally carrying a nut at its other end, which nut has threaded engagement with the upper end portion of said shaft whereby to cause swinging movement of "the lever in response to rotati ve movement of the shaftf i "ELMER appearances CITED The following references are of record in the fileof this patenti STATES PATENTS Name Date 2,103,988 Le Bus Dec. 28, 1937 Russeu July 5, 1949 

